Card weight



Oct. 4, 1966 E. E. MASTERSON CARD WEIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6. 1963 FIG.

FIG

INVENTOR EARL E.. MASTERSON BY a W ATTORNEY E. E. MASTERSON I Oct. 4, 1966 CARD WEIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 6, 1963 United States Patent 3,276,775 CARD WEIGHT Earl E. Masterson, Newtonville. Mass., assignor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 321,744 3 Claims. (Cl. 271-61) This invention relates in general to a card weight, which is used in conjunction with a data processing punched card magazine. More particularly, this invention relates to a card weight, which can be readily removed from and reinserted into a data processing punched card magazine whenever the latter requires replenishing.

A shortcoming of prior art card weights, which are employed in data processing card magazines to insure that the picker knife (i.e., an oscillating device having forward and backward motion) inserts the lowermost punched card in the magazine into the reading mechanism of a data processing machine, is that they are not designed for efiicient operation whenever the magazine requires reloading. Thus, whenever additional data processing cards must be added to the magazine for processing, the prior art card weight must be completely removed from the magazine and relocated upon a convenient resting place. New cards must .then be stacked in the magazine and the prior art card weight must again be placed on top of the cards. As can be appreciated, this is a multistep procedure that does not provide an etficient mode of operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved card weight.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a card weight, which is simple and eflicient to employ.

In accordance with a feature of this invention, a wedgeshaped card weight is provided for use with the magazine of a punched card feeding machine. The card weight is designed so that it may be readily removed through the forward opening provided in a card magazine whenever it is required to add additional punched cards thereto. Thus, whenever the punched card magazine is relatively depleted, new punched cards may be added on top of the weight until the magazine is replenished. The card weight is then readily pulled out of the magazine because of its wedge-shape and placed on top of the stack in a simple one-hand operation.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the lower surface of the above-mentioned wedge-shaped card weight is coated with a low friction material such as Teflon. This low friction material on the underside of the card weight further permits the latter to be easily withdrawn from the punched card stack during the magazine reloading operation.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric representation of the wedgeshaped card weight provided by the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the card weight shown positioned in the data processing card magazine;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the wedge-shaped card weight placed in position in the magazine (shown in phantom) and further depicting a plurality of punched cards positioned below and above the card weight in the magazine during reloading.

In operation, the card weight provided by this inven- 3,276,775 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 tion is designed for rapid and simplified removal whenever additional punched cards are added to a magazine. Accordingly, the card weight is designed with a wedgeshaped configuration, the underside of which is coated with a low friction material. The wedge-shaped card weight is further designed witha width dimension that can easily pass through the frontal opening provided in the magazine. Several holes are formed on the weight, which are sufliciently large to enable the fingers of an operator to be inserted therein for easy handling.

When the wedge-shaped card weight is positioned in a data processing card magazine on top of a stack of punched cards, it exerts sufiicient pressure upon the cards to insure that the undermost card in the magazine is correctly positioned to enter the throat when pushed by the picker knife. As is understood in the art, the picker knife inserts the undermost card through a narrow opening called the throat in the magazine. When the punched cards in the magazine require replenishing, additional cards are merely stacked on top of the Wedge-shaped card weight without removing the latter. In view of the wedge-shape of the card weight as well as the low friction material covering the underside thereof, the card weight is simply removed through the front aperture of the card magazine by means of the finger holes provided and then placed on top of the newly stacked cards. The wedge-shape of the card weight causes the newly added punched cards stacked on top of the weight to fall into place without disarrangement when the card weight is removed from the magazine. The low friction material coated on the underside of the card weight enables the latter to readily slide over the undermost punched cards so that the reloading of the magazine is an easy one-hand operation.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG- URE 1, the wedge-shaped card weight for use with a punched card magazine is depicted. The card weight is generally of a rectangular configuration and is made in a preferred embodiment of heavy gauge steel or cast iron. The card weight is sufficiently heavy so that when the cards in the magazine become relatively depleted, enough pressure will nevertheless be exerted by the weight on the undermost card to insure that the latter is positioned to be pushed by the edge of the picker knife and readily enter the throat in the magazine. Attached to the upper surface of the card weight by a suitable means and flush to each side edge are two wedge-shaped members 12 and 14. Further attached to the underside of the card weight is a triangular section 18 of low friction material such as Teflon. A lance 16 (also FIGURE 3) is formed in the card weight by cutting into, for example, the heavy gauge steel and bending the cut section in an upward manner. The purpose of the lance 16 will be explained in more detail hereinafter. Formed in the rearward section of the card weight are three holes 11, 13 and 15, which are suitably enlarged for the insertion of the fingers of an operator. In order to prevent the card weight from being inserted into the punched card magazine beyond a certain distance, the wing stops 25 and 27 (also FIG- URE 2) are formed to extend beyond the rectangular shape of the card weight.

FIGURE 2 depicts the wedge-shaped card weight 10 positioned within the punched card magazine 20 as viewed from the top of the magazine. Vertically positioned card guides 34 (also FIGURE 3) are integrally attached to the magazine 20 in order to prevent the punched cards from extending outwardly beyond a certain distance. The outline of a punched card 22 is shown positioned within the magazine. The separation between the punched card 22 within the enclosure provided by the magazine 20 and the card guide 34 is exaggerated some- .am-mmutlll what for the sake of clarity. The dotted lines represent the wedge-shaped members 14 and 12 and the outer extremities of the card weight 10. The magazine 20 provides an opening at the top thereof for inserting additional cards therein. Whenever it is required to remove the card weight 10, as for example, when additional cards are added to the stack, the fingers of the operator are inserted in the holes 11, 13 and 15 and the weight is then pulled out through the frontal opening 40 in the magazine.

The stacked cards in the magazine 20 (shown in phantom lines) are positioned as depicted in FIGURE 3 so that the edge 32 of the picker knife 30 moves behind the back edge of the card. The double arrow head indicates that the picker knife oscillates forwardly and backwardly when in operation. The card weight functions to exert sufiicient pressure against the cards 22' so that the undermost card is positioned to readily enter the throat and sufiiciently flat that the edge 32 of the picker knife 30 pushes it forward in response to the forward part of the oscillation. In order to insure that an individual card enters the throat of the magazine, the front section of the card weight may be loaded .down by appropriate means. When the undermost punched card is positioned against the knife edge 32, then it will be inserted into the reading mechanism (not shown) of the data processing machine via a narrow aperture called the throat (not shown) in the magazine and the-rollers 24 and 26. The card guide 34 (also FIGURE 2) insures that the cards do not extend beyond a certain distance (i.e., the cards are in vertical alignment) thereby assuring their insertion into the reading mechanism by the picker knife.

FIGURE 3 further depicts the punched cards 22' in the magazine 20 becoming relatively depleted so that the latter must be replenished by the operator. In prior art embodiments, it is the custom to first remove the card weight and relocate it in a convenient location sometimes far removed from :the magazine. Additional cards are then stacked in the magazine and the Weight is lo cated and again placed on top of the cards.

The procedure which can be followed by virtue of the arrangement in FIGURE 3, for plenishing the magazine 20, is to allow the weight 10 to remain in place while additional punched cards 22" are added on top thereof. It should be noted that because of the wedge-shape configuration of the card weight, the punched cards 22" are positioned more obliquely in the magazine than are the punched cards 22'. Thus, when the card weight 10 is ready to be pulled through the frontal opening 40 (FIGURE 2) the punched cards 22" will tend to fall into place in alignment with the cards 22. guide 34 (also FIGURE 2) does not extend to entire length of the magazine 20 and were it not for the wedgeshaped configuration of the weight 10, there would be a tendency to pull some cards out of the magazine with the wedge. Furthermore, the low friction material on theunderside of the card weight permits the latter to be readily slid over the stack 22' without disturbing any of these cards.

The lance 16 (also FIGURE 1) is used-in conjunction with the spring loaded on-oif button 37. Thus, when the spring is in compression (i.e., when at least one card is in the magazine) the picker knife will be in operation. However, when the magazine has been depleted and the wedge 10 is resting on the bottom thereof, the spring loaded button 37 is no longer in compression, and it extends through to the lance 16. When this condition occurs, the inserting mechanism '(i.e., the picker knife) is automatically turned off.

In summary, the wedge-shaped card weight has been provided for easy insertion and removal from a punched card magazine of a data processing machine. The card weight has a low friction material attached to the underside thereof and when combined with the wedge-shaped This feature is significant since the card configuration, a device is provided for expeditious loading of the magazine is an easy one-hand operation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege. is claimed are defined as follows:

1. The combination comprising:

(a) a magazine for receiving and stacking a plurality of cards, said magazine having a vertically extending opening along one of its sides;

(b) a wedge-shaped weight for positioning upon said plurality of cards in said magazine, said weight being oriented in said magazine so that. one surface thereof is resting upon the topmost one of said plurality of cards, another surface of said weight facing upwardly as well as sloping downwardly from said vertically extending opening. to the opposite side of said magazine to receive additional cards for 7 said stack;

(c) means extending from a surface of said weight for grasping said weight, said last-mentioned means being located substantially outside of said magazine.

2. A card feeding apparatus comprising:

(a) a magazine for holding a stack of cards in position to be fed sequentially from its bottom by said card feeding apparatus,

said magazine having an opening extending the length of one of its walls;

(b) a wedge shaped weight for placement upon said stack of cards for moving the stack downwardly through said magazine .to said card feeding apparatus is cards are removed from the bottom of the stac the top surface of said weight sloping downwardly from the magazine wall having the opening to the opposite wall whereby additional cards to be added to the stack may first be placed on the sloping surface of the weight without first removing it from the stack,

a width dimension of said weight being substantially equal to the width of said open- 111g;

(c) means for grasping attached to said weight, said last mentioned means extending substantially through the opening of said magazine,

said additional cards pivoting about their edges adjacent said opposite wall and aligning themselves on said card stackwhen theweight is withdrawn from said magazine.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein:

(a) said magazine wall opening is defined by inwardly projecting side flanges to hold said cards in said magazine as said weight is withdrawn.

References Cited by the Examiner M. HENSON. WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, ROBERT B. REEVES, Examiners.

J. F. ROSS, R. A. SCHACHER, Assistant Examiners. V 

1. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) A MAGAZINE FOR RECEIVING AND STACKING A PLURALITY OF CARDS, SAID MAGAZINE HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING OPENING ALONG ONE OF ITS SIDES; (B) A WEDGE-SHAPED WEIGHT FOR POSITIONING UPON SAID PLURALITY OF CARDS IN SAID MAGAZINE, SAID WEIGHT BEING ORIENTED IN SAID MAGAZINE SO THAT ONE SURFACE THEREOF IS RESTING UPON THE TOPMOST ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF CARDS, ANOTHER SURFACE OF SAID WEIGHT FACING UPWARDLY AS WELL AS SLOPING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING OPENING TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID MAGAZINE TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL CARDS FOR SAID STACK; (C) MEANS EXTENDING FROM A SURFACE OF SAID WEIGHT FOR GRASPING SAID WEIGHT, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS BEING LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY OUTSIDE OF SAID MAGAZINE. 